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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · pop · bear · charge · chest · trunk · plane · fan

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pop — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. charge — in control
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — a box
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com